I tired searching but found only ancient threads which never really had any answers/solutions.

What kind of options for a spare tire do we have in 2019 ?

Is everyone just hoping the original spare from the Reagan administration will hold up ? Wing it with tire plugs and a mini compressor or hope that there will be cell service to call roadside assistance ? None of those give me the warm fuzzies considering where I live. Is there a solution ?


Thanks.

 

I had an aluminum spare... filled it up and tire was distorted, no good.
Can't seem to find any replacements either...
Was looking through a junkyard a couple years ago and found a 3rd gen with a steel spare. Tire and rim were both in excellent shape, I store them inside (my thirdgen is not a daily driver, nor finished), but once finished, I'll store it in the car.
Would be nice to find a replacement tire for the aluminum rim, as you've said, these threads start, then stop....
As noted, keep plugs, fix a flat and compressor handy....

 

I had the same result when I aired up the original spare in my '85, the tire mushroomed. You might consider a Ebay 4th gen spare, they have been around for fewer years and they should be in better shape.

 

I thought about a 4th gen spare, but even the newest of those are going on 20 years.

Going to keep looking for another option, even if it just means getting the skinniest, smallest wheel/tire that will fit and stowing it in the trunk in case I'm going to be far from home.

 

Fix-a-flat and a small air compressor powered from the cigarette lighter. If that doesn't get you home, call a flatbed. Keep your AAA membership paid up.

Many of the new performance cars don't have spare tires anymore. Just a compressor and a bottle of sealant.

 

AAA card, cell phone, and an extra full size tire on long road trips.

 

I aired up my spare and it mushroomed as well. I have a 15in rally wheel from a 69 Camaro I will throw in the back if I take longer trips. Ive looked in every 4th gen around junkyards here and cant find a spare.

 

I use a 4th gen mini spare (fully inflated but rally narrow) tire. I had to upgrade as the inflatable 3rd gen one I had would not clear the 4th gen rear brakes I put on...

 

If I get a 4th gen rim will it fit front and back on my thirdgen. Just wondering is the offset different on 4th gens like they are front and back on our cars? I know where I can get an extra 16in wheel off a wrecked 4th gen

 

 

4TH gen wheels should be the same on all four corners, but they're the Corvette spacing. They wont fit right without a spacer.

Also need to remember that thirdgens were designed around a 15" wheel and a space saver spare. To store the flat tire, you have to wedge it into the dent in the rear trim panel, and probably ought to strap it down with the J-bolt wingnut arrangement to keep it from hitting the hatch. With a full size 16" wheel/tire you have to remove the valve cover and deflate the tire to make it fit. A full size 16" wheel/tire combo as a spare would be a real pain to carry around, unless you laid it on top of the package tray behind the rear seat, or fold the rear seat back down and lay it there. A raw 16" tire works out OK because you can just stuff it in a hefty bag to keep the interior clean, and throw it wherever there is room. It's not heavy enough to become a missile or hazard in an accident, and it's not nearly as heavy or bulky to deal with. If you happen to murder a tire beyond repair, you use AAA to get a toe, have the murdered tire removed and the spare tire mounted, and it'll get you home.

Figured out all of the above driving all over West Virginia looking for any place with a 16" tire after something ripped a gash in a sidewall. Ended up with a used 2whatever 60 or 65 series tire to get home, and road hazard warrantied the damaged tire. WV back to SD wasn't an option for the space saver, and a new 16" tire was several days out from every place I called.

 

I guess my 15in rally wheel in a bag will hafta work for now. I fold the rear seat down and put it there.

 

I like this solution.

I need to check my spare, it is the original and I have no idea what condition it is in after all these years.

The problem with a full-size spare is the size and the limited space we have in the cars to stow it. My IROC has the factory 16s, so I have the 245/50-R16 tires. Forget carrying a spare one of those. Those tires are supposedly 25.6" in diameter, so ideally you would want a spare the same diameter so the car sits right and you will not over-stress posi if you have a flat on the rear. The 195/70-R15 may be an option, it is 25.7" diameter and narrower, a difference of 0.4%, which should not be a problem for the posi. diameter fitting for stowage will be a problem, but that tire is a couple inches narrower and may be easier to stow. Just get a steel wheel that would fit either front or back. Any decent tire like that could easily handle full highway speed and go several hundred miles in a pinch.

 

I'd like to have a 17" spare. GTO spare might work with a different tire. Its not going to fit in the spare tire wheel well though. I have Corvette C5 front brakes and don't know if they would clear anything 16" or less without doing some research. I do have front spacers around 2". Probably just have to stick with a 15" spare and could always swap tires from front to back if a front tire failed then put the spare on the back.

The local tire shops around here don't sell spare tires. I had to buy a spare tire online for my 17" spare on my other car.

 

The ear!y Camaro rims and the 15in RS rims which looked the same as those. Are they front and rear specific or all at 0 offset?

 

All the 16's are staggered, everything else were square.

 

My narrow 4th gen spare fits all 4 spots ( have LS1 brakes all 4 corners) also fits in the factory location to store.

 

Thanks Drew. I've been using a rally wheel off a 69 Camaro but got someone wanting to buy the set so I know where some RS wheels are i will be getting one.

 

Just picked up a C4 Corvette spare tire from a 94. This is an aluminum 17" rim with a T155/70R17 tire. This is the same height as stock IROC tires. The bolt pattern is identical. I set a stock 10.5" rotor into the rim to see how it looked for clearance. I suspect I will have to use a wheel spacer to get clearance. Should clear C5 brakes. Plan to test fit this weekend. Will post more pictures then.

 

I've been looking too. I recently got a spare tire and rim from a 4th gen it has a 135/60r16, but I can't find a replacement tire. The only tire produced at the moment that is close is a 135/70r16, but this is 1" taller and I am concerned that it will not fit in the spare tire location. I am guessing it could be left deflated and carry an air pump, I don't know if it would fit tho.

 

Looks like the guys on LS1 forum use the 125/70r16, this would probably be better, with the 135/60r16 I was having an issue with the Plastic going back over the spare without sticking out a little.

 

How much room is left with that at the front? Im using C6 front brakes and the old 1LE 15" aluminum spare no longer fits.Worse it wont even fit in the spare tire well of a vert.The old 14" inflatable would literally scrape in.Currently carry a GTO 17" spare, but it rubs the trunk underside constantly.I cant find the post, plus i may be remembering it wrong due to wishful thinking, but read on here that 4th gen spare fit 13" front brakes. Anyone!

 

I still have my original from 30 years ago. Never used it.

 

One suggestion along this line (especially if you have lowered car) deflate a tire and see if you can get the jack under the car My car was missing all the spare tire parts when I bought the car. So I shopped at the junkyard and got a random spare tire that fit the car, not sure what it was from. And bought a low profile jack. Well I had a blow out one day in college (only 2 inches of side wall left on the rim when I got it off the 6 lane interstate) The jack would not slide under the car. I had to "position it close" and then lift as hard as I could on the fender and kick the jack under the car, luckily I got it under the car good enough. Then make sure the jack will lift the car high enough to get the inflated spare on it.

I have a 4th gen spare and that orginal random one I had both fit my car. They are so narrow the offset doesn't really play in as long as the face clears your brakes.

 

https://modernspare.com

Found this ^

Doubt it would fit into the spare tire compartment. But if someone were to find a clean and creative way to keep it in the car, it would work. Say... in the cargo well, or if no back seats, then maybe in that area.

It's available in a variety of rim sizes, including 18" that will fit all C5, C6 and C7 brake options. It's available with a variety of tire sizes. And it's available with a full changing kit, or as just the wheel and tire.

My C6 Z51 front and rear brakes have already become C6 Z06 front and rear brakes, so for a spare, this looks like my best option.

 

Since I just put a C4HD front brake set up on my white 91Z, I realized I was up a creek for a spare. I been carrying around an original inflatable spare in this car and a pre-inflated donut in my maroon Z that wouldn’t probably wouldn’t clear the PBR rear calipers. Both tires are probably too old to try to run on anyway...I had a tire get cut down several years ago on my white Z a long way from home and had a 4th gen bail me out of trouble by letting me limp to a tire store on his spare. I been tossing around the idea of making up a spare set up by using a drag skinny wheel. I then stumbled upon this thread to see what it had to offer. When I saw Denn11’s post using the C4 spare, it put my plan in motion since the 155/70r17 temp tire is about as close as you can get in diameter to our 245/50/16, 275/40/17, 235/60/15 set ups we are usually running. I ordered a Continental temp tire 155/70/17 and Jeg’s 680291 17x4.5 drag wheel. Perfect! Light weight, easy to handle, and clears my C4HD brakes with plenty of room.

 

Thats about the size of the GTO spare i have @ 145/70/17, but it wont go into the storage well on my vert.Fits the brakes though.

 

How you store spare in the back

I have C6 Z51 brakes been looking for a solution

 

Plan will be to just pack it in the trunk on trips. I know it won't fit in the spare well. May try to deflate it and see if it will go, but I do not think it will.

 

I tried deflating the GTO spare too, but it didn't make a dents worth of difference.The sidewall is still too rigid.

 

That is what I was predicting my results would be.....

 

Yea I figured that

does hatch close with it in the deep pocket to be specific

 

What spare?

 

Does no good when you have a 3/8x 3" long bolt in your tire

 

reamer/plugger kit will fix a 3/8 bolt roadside - only had one half of a butter knife ever take out a side wall while driving years ago..

 

As skinny as the set up it, that shouldn't be a problem.
I will be headed to Beach Bash next week, so I will be figuring out the best place for it.

 

LMFAO. Yeah for a couple of miles at best. I think the tire shop put 12 plugs in it to get me going, but it still leaked real bad. It was at the edge of the tread and sidewall, went in at an angle. Tire goo and inflater won't always help. Wish I had a spare that late night, in the rain, in the cold over the can of goo and inflater that GM put in the car....

 

My apologies for the delay on posting the pictures. I am running 275/40/17's on Snyper rims. I had been looking into @Zach/90\irocZ idea of using a drag skinny, then lucked into this Corvette spare (If you call a 10 hour round trip to get it lucky lol). Clearance appears to be excellent, at least on my stock front brakes, haven't tried the rears yet.I mounted it in the hatch recess, with a black trailer tire cover for aesthetics. The hatch cover fits fine.

 

Hi new at this not shore what to do own a 88 GTA no spare the comply plaque on door said 14" but the closest I can find is a 15" steel spare would this be OK

 

Sorry if I'm doing this wrong guys own a 88 GTA its had no spare since the day I bought it I carry a pump and repair kit but worry that if on the very rare occasion that you blow a side wall got no way of fixing without a big cost comply plaque on door states 14" but all I can track down is a 15" would this be ok . thanks .. Smithy

 

Smithy, if it fits, then you are good. I am going a different route for my peace of mind. Purchased an individual wheel off a member on here who was selling some a while back. It is an exact oem full size wheel for my car. I am about to have new tires put on later this week. I purchased a set of 5 rather than just 4. That way, I will have a matching wheel and tire for road trips if something goes wrong.

 

So, just for clarification...no one has found a solution to a spare tire that both fits C6 brakes, and fits in the spare tire compartment?

 

I sure haven't, I've even tried some euro spares to no avail. You have slightly more options in a non vert though.

 

Not a great solution but a wheel spacer and a space saver would be an option. Kick the space saver out far enough that brakes is not a issue... only down side is well a large spacer, not that you are going to be doing much more than getting to the tire store, its still more load on the bearing having it kicked out that far.

 

Does. Spare of an actual c6 corvette fit the car, but not the compartment?

 

See post 29, basically correct on both.

 

Thanks man. I saw that post but somehow didn't put two and two together

 

In the four years since this threat was started, have we learned about any other suitable alternatives for spares on our cars?

Like quite a few have already stated, I never used my spare, nor have I even inflated it since I drove my 92 Z28 5.7L off the dealer's lot in May 1992. After seeing the crack along the sidewall, I wouldn't consider using it. At one point during the inflation process, I hesitated to take my chances and bring it up to 35 PSI. I didn't even bother with the CO2 cartridge inflator. Written on the tire is Good Year 195/75 D15. Do they still make this tire? If I can mount the new tire on the steel rim, I would be okay with stashing it in the cargo hold semi-inflated rather than back in the tiny storage it was in. I am lucky that after 31 years of use, I was able to get by with fix-a-flat, until just recently I picked up a very large screw that created a hole too large for fix-a-flat and I had to plug it. That got me wondering about the status of the spare. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions!

 

I still havent found something that will fit in the spare tire well. I even tried some euro car spares and no luck there either. Like you, also carry fix a flat and tire plugs.

 

Thanks. I put the inflated spare in the cargo compartment and it looks like it would fit fine there. I guess I need to look into finding a 195/75 D15 tire. Was the issue one of fitting an alternate into the spare tire compartment or one of finding a tire that would fit the rim of the spare?